A Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) candidate collapsed on Tuesday morning after being slapped multiple times by a Ministry of Education official.
The incident occurred at Sironga Girls High School in Bogichora, Nyamira County, during ongoing exams. According to a police report accessed by TRENDYNEWS.CO.KE, the student was in her designated exam room when Beatrice Kendi, a quality assurance officer, entered around 9 a.m. for a routine inspection.
The officer reportedly noticed the student chewing something suspicious, which led her to investigate further.
The officer reportedly approached the student and, after questioning her, slapped the candidate multiple times, despite not finding any evidence of wrongdoing.
“She moved closer and slapped the student several times but did not recover any unauthorized material,” the police statement said.
The statement also noted that the student appeared restless throughout the exam. As the session ended around 10 a.m., she suddenly collapsed.
She was quickly taken to the school dispensary for first aid, where she was treated and discharged. This was confirmed by the exam invigilator. However, the student was later admitted to the hospital for further care.
Following the incident, both security and education officials visited the school to investigate. The incident has since sparked public outrage. “Officials visited the school and found that during the morning exam session at around 9 a.m., a Ministry of Education official, Beatrice Kendi, conducted a snap check in Room No. 9. Upon entering, she saw a female student chewing something she suspected was unauthorized material,” the report explained.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has launched an inquiry into the matter.
This incident follows closely on the heels of another tragedy at the same school, where a form four student died after jumping from a second-floor hostel window just two weeks ago. She fell, hit her head, and was rushed to Nyamira Level Five Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.